Radio apparatus



y 1927' 1.. a. COGSWELL RADIO APPARATUS Filed March 25. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TOE ATTORNEY.

1,634,896 y 1.. B. COGSWELL RADIO APPARATUS Filed March 25. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

1' N V E N TOR.

PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD B. COGSWELL, 01 WEST SPBIIGI'IELD, IASSAOHUSE'I'TS.

RADIO APPARATUS.

Application filed larch 25, 1826. No. 97,340.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in radio-receiving apparatus, and resides in means for operating independently the shafts or axial members of rotary elements, in aligning means for such axial members, and in certain peculiar controlling and limiting means for such members', together with such other parts and members and combinations of parts and members as may be necessary or desirable in order to render the apparatus complete and serviceable in every respect, all as hereinafter set forth.

The primary object of my invention is to provide, in radio apparatus, simple and efiicient means for rotating at will in either direction any one of a number of rotor elements, such as the rotor plates of condensers and the contact arms of rheostats and potentiometers and for grouping the actuating dials in such a way that they can be convenientl operated with the digits, of one hand. eretofore it has been customary toarrange the condensers and the rheostat and potentiometer, in a radio-receiving set, in such a manner that each must be operated by a. dial so constructed and so remote from any other dial as to require the use of one hand for that dial alone, which rendered it difiicult to manipulate the dials and set the rotor elements in the act of picking up different stations and properly tuning in on the same, and consumed-considerable time in so doing. These objections are removed by the use of m improved operating and setting means, w ich can be actuated with one hand and in a minimum amount of time.

A further object is to insure accurate alignment of the axial members of a pluralit of condensers arranged side by side, whereb stability and accurac are assured.

Anot er object is to simpli y the control and limitation of the rotor plates in a condenser, by providing a single resilient memher for preventing endwise displacement of the rotor-plate shaft in its bearing, for providing the frictional resistance necessary to prevent back-lash and hold said lates in whatever position they may be le t at the end of the tuning in operation, and for affordin a stop to limit the rotary motion of said ates in either direction.

Ot or objects and advantages'will appear in the course of the following description.

In the present embodiment of my invention three condensers are arranged side by side, and with them are associated a rheostat and a potentiometer, and means is provided for controlling or operating each from a convenient oint in front of the panel of a radio-receiving set, and all of these oints of control or operation are so groupe as to make it possible to actuate independently any or all of the rotor elements with the digits of one hand, the thumb and little finger being used to operate respectively the contact arms of said potentiometer and rheo-v stat, and the other fingers to operate the rotor plates of said condensers. Either or both rheostat and Zpotentiometer may be omitted from this grouping, in which event only the. three operating dials for the condenser rotor plates are needed, and these dials will usually be operated with the same three fingers as in the other case.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention, by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan of a set of three condensers and a rheostat and potentiometer, and of a practical form of my operating, aligning, and controlling and limiting means, embodied with said condensers, rheostat, and potentiometer; Fig. 2, a detail, in side elevation, of one of the controllin and limiting members for the rotor-plate afts and rotor plates; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the ax1al-members of two of the condensers and one of such members of of the third, and a vertical section throu b said controlling and limiting member and its associated arts; Fig. 4, a reduced, left-hand side elevation of the operating dials and of the plate therefor on the panel, the latter being in section, and, Fig. 5, a reduced front elevation of said digls and plate. 7

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the first view the operating dials are positioned on their axes with their central diameters upright, and intermediate portions of said dials are broken away to disclose fully the manner in which they are mounted on the axial members of the rotor elements. The rear tportions also of the large dials are broken 0 in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 two rotor plates are'shown in the two extreme posi-' tions which are determined by the associated controlling and limiting member. rtion of the rim at the top, of each of the dials appearing in Fig. 4, is broken out to show more clearly the manner in which said rim is supported by the spokes. The dials in Fig. 4 are ositioned on their axes with their central diameters horizontal, instead of vertical as in Fig. 1, said dials thus appearing as when turned forward one-fourth of a revolution from the positions which they occupy in the first view. A portion of the dial plate is broken out in Fig. 5 to bring into view some of the parts behind the same and behind the panel.

It will be observed that the axes of the rotor elements here are parallel with the panel, instead of at right-angles thereto, as has usually been the rule heretofore.

A front'panel and a base, of a radio-receiving set, are respectively represented at 1 and 2. In the panel 1 is an openin 3. Mounted on the base 2 is a horizontal p ate 4 from which rise three brackets 5. The plate 4 is rigidly secured to the base 2, and the brackets 5 are rigidly secured to said plate. In the center of the upright part of each bracket 5 is a slot 6 which opens through the top of said part. Rigidly secured to the left-hand side of the left-hand bracket 5 and to the right-hand side of each of the other two brackets is a horizontal supporting plate 7, said plate being at rightangles to the panel 1. Fastened to the lefthand side of the left-hand supporting plate 7 at each end thereof is an insulating block 8, and similar insulating blocks are fastened in corresponding positions to the right-hand side of each of the other supporting plates. Extending to the left from the left-hand blocks 8 are two arms 9 between and rigidly attached to which is a set of stator plates 10. Similar arms 9 extend to the right from the insulating blocks 8attached to each of the other two plates 7, and between the arms in each of these two pairs is a corresponding set of-stator plates 10. Associated with each of these three sets of stator plates 10 is a set of rotor plates 11.

All externally screw-threaded bearing 12 is tapped into each sup rting plate 7 at the top intermediate of t e ends thereof, and securely heldin place by means of a pair of loch-nuts 13, one on each side of said Journaled in each bearing 12 i a hollow shaft 14, and mounted on and secured to said shaft are the hubs of one of the three sets of rotor plates 11, said hubs having spwers or separators 15 between them as is customary. Also mounted on and secured to each shaft 14, between the c ing 12 in which said shaft is journaled hulls of the rotor plates 11 mounted with which one of the cones 16 us, is recessed to receive the'conof said cone in the usual manner. h shaft may he provided 1?, the ear e heing partially c, is a cone 18. The end of each received in an annular groove in said shaft, to serve as an abutment for the cone 16 on said shaft, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. The part of the cone 16 which is contiguous with the split-1 in 17 is annularly channeled to receive the spilt-ring. The adjacent ends of the'left-hand and intermediate shafts 14 extend some distance beyond the bearings 12 for said shafts, to form dial-receiving projections, and the ri ht-hand shaft 14 extends to the right some istance beyond the rotor plates 11 of the right-hand condenser. The outer end of the left-hand shaft 14, beyond the rotor plates mounted thereon, is screwthreaded to receive a nut 18 which assists in retaining said plates in place on said shaft, and similar provision is made at the righthand end of the intermediate shaft 14. There is also a nut 18 on the rotruding right-hand terminal of the right-hand shaft 14, which nut is screwed up tight against the outside of the rotor plate on said shaft, just as is done in the other two cases. This protruding, screw-threaded terminal of the right-hand shaft 14 has therein a slot 19 which opens through the outer end thereof. It is now evident that the rotor plates '11, in each condenser, can be moved about their common axis by rotating the shaft 14 on which said plates are mounted.

In order perfectly to align the three shafts 14, and at the same time provide means for rotating the right-hand shaft from a point adjacent to the protrudin terminals of the other two shafts which a 0rd means for rotatnig the same, I rovide a rod 20 and form at'the outer end t ereof an enlargement or cross-head 21. The rod 20 is introduced into the outer end of the righthand shaft 14 and pushed to the left through the inter mediate shaft 14 and into the left-hand shaft 14 until the cross-head 21, which finally enters the slot 19, comes to rest against the r1ght-hand nut 18. A nut 22 is then screwed onto the s lit terminal of the righthand shaft14 an tight against the crosshead 21, and thus prevents the rod 20 from becoming outwardly displaced. The rod 20 is, in fact, held against endwise movement in either direction, since the cross-head 21 is gripped tightly between the contiguous nuts 18 and 22. Inasmuch as the rod 20 has the cross-head connection with the slotted art of the right-hand shaft 14, as just exp ained, the rotary motion of said rod must he imparted to said shaft. A portion of the rod 20 is exposed between adjacent ends of the left-hand and intermediate shafts 14, and such portion constitutes a dial-receivi g part.

it segmental dial 23 is provided for each of the tnree sets of rotor plates 11, and each dial consists of a plate, of the shape substan'tiaily as shown in 4, having its arcnate periphery turned over on one lllll side to form an operating rim 24, that preferably is exteriorly knurled, and a scalebearing flange 25 of less diameter than said rim, a hub 26, and three (more or less) spokes 27 that extend from said hub to the inside of said rim for the purpose of receive said rod, and then the atter is again.

pushed to the left until it passes through the middle dial hub and enters the passage in said left-hand shaft as far as it will 0. Each hub 26 is secured to either of 51a shafts 14 or to the rod 20, upon which it is mounted, by means of a set-screw 28 tapped radially into said. hub and arranged in,the

usual manner to enga e the axial member within the hub. The ials are properly adjusted on their axial members before the setscrews 28 are ti htened. The dials do not contact with eac other at .any point. The knurled rims 28 are the parts to which the fingers are ap lied forthepurpose of manipulating the ials, and are especially well adanted for that purpose.

The dials 23 in front project through the openin 13 in the panel 1, and also through three s ots 29 in a plate 30 which is fastened to the outer side of said panel. On both sides of the slots 29 and on the outside of the plate 30 are arcuate ribs 31 and three of these ribs, of which there are four in all, are provided with horizontal indicator marks 32. The marks on the scale flanges 25 cooperate with the indicator marks 32, and it is by thcse marks that the dials are set. and their positions determined. The are of each rib 31 is concentric with the rod 20, and

corresponds in diameter with that of the scale flan e 25 of the adjacent dial, and,-

where suc rib has a mark 32 thereon, said mark is located in an advanta eous position relativeto the marks on said an Mounted on the base 2 at the right of the condensers is a rheostat generally indicated by the numeral 33, and mounted on said base at the left of the condenser is a potentiometer generally indicated by the numeral 34. The rheostat 33-has a coil 35 for which there is a contact arm 36, and the potentiometer 34 has a coil 37 for which there is a contact arm 38. The rheostat arm 36 is mounted on and secured to a shaft 39 at the outerterminal thereof, and the potentiometer arm 38 is mounted on and secured to a shaft 40 at the outer terminal thereof. Extending inwardly from the anal 1, to which the are secured at their nt ends, are two orizontal brackets 41. The brackets 41 are on opposite sides of the dials 23 and some distance therefrom and said brackets at their rear ends afford bearings for the shafts. 39 and 40 adjacent to the inner terminal of said shafts. Mounted on the terminals of the shafts 39 and 40 which project inwardl beyond the brackets 41 .are two dials 42. ach dial 42, like anyone of the dials 23, has a hub 26 which is slipped on to one or the other-of the shafts 39 and 40, and there secured by means of a set-screw 28, after the dial has been properly positioned on its shaft. With the exception of being smaller, the dials 42 are similar in ractically every respect to the dials 23, sec of the former consistin of a plate having a major diameter whic is less than the full circumference of a circle, and is turned over to form a raised operating rim 43 and a scale flange 44, and recnforced with three spokes 45.

The shafts 39 and 40 are in line with each other, and located below the horizontal plane and forward of the vertical plane of the. rod 20, which causes the dials 42 to be located lower thanthe dials 23. The dials 42 are, however, made of such a size that their rims .in front are tangent to the same vertical the o ning 3' in" the panel 1, and through two s ots 46 provided for them in the plate 30, on opposite sides of and extendin lower than the slots 29 in said plate. T us the dials 42 are located in convenient position to be operated by the thumb and little finger while the other fingers of the same hand are operating the dials 23. The plate 30 is further provided with exterior arcuate ribs 47, two on each side'of each slot 46, and on the left-handrib of each pair is .a horizontal indicator mark 48 with which the marks on the adjacent dial 42 are brought into registry as the dial is operated. The are of each rib 47 is struck from a center which is in line with the axes of the shafts 39 and 40, thediameter corresponding with the diameter of the scale rim 44 of the adjacent dial, and consequently the mark 48 on any such rib is advantageously located relative to the marks on the adjacent flange 44. i

Any suitable arrangement of scale marks on the flanges 25 and 44 may be employed.

The controlling and limitingmembers, of which mention'has been made, are associated with the three cones 16,andeach of said members consists of 1 a resilient shank 49 which is attached adjacent at its lower terminal, by means of a screw 50, to one of the supporting plates 7, and has at the top a fork 51 and 'a lug or stop 52-. The screw 50 .passes through the plate 7, and is tapped into the shank 49, and said shank extends upwardl from saidscrew andoutwardly from said p ate into engagement with the cone 16 above, which cone has an annular groove 53 therein to receive the fork 51 at the top of said shank. Thus the cone 16 is free to rotate, but its'endwise movement is controlled by the resilient shank 49 the fork 51 of which is in the cone slot. The arm or stop 52 extends forwardly from the front edge of the fork 51, and its outer terminal is bent into the path of the nearest plate 11 of the adjacent set of rotor plates. The left-hand shank 49 is on the outside of the left-hand plate 7, while each of the other two shanks 49 is on the right-hand side of its supporting plate. The bent terminal of the left-hand stop 52 extends to the left, while the bent terminal of each of the other two stops extends to the right.

Each of the three devices just described performs the triple ollice of holding the cone 16 ou aged thereby against the. contiguous end 0? the bearing with which said cone is associated, and thereby preventing the shaft 14. journaled in said bearing and the rotor members mounted on and secured to said shaft from moving longitudinally in a direction away from said bearing. of holding said cone in engagement with said bearing under tension so that frictional resistance is afforded sutiicient in amount to prevent back-lash when said shaft is rotated. and to hold said shaft at whatever point it may be left, and of limiting the rotation of said shaft in both directions, through the medium of the stop 52 which is in the path of one of the rotor plates 11 mounted on said shaft. The stop 52 checks the aforesaid rotor plate and with it the other rotor plate in the set, when they are actuated downwardly between the stator plates 10, as soon as the straight edges of said rot or plates areparallel with the straight edges or" said stator plates, and checks the movement in the opposite direction, when said rotor plates assume position which locates their straight edges underneath. The stop 52 thus limits the movement oi the rotor plates and provides two starting points for the same.

in order [0 vary the tension of each shank 49, bolt 54 is provided. The bolt 5% passes through an opening in the plate 1 to which the shank is attached. and is tapped into said shank. Upon turning-the bolt 5 in the di action to draw theshanl; 49 toward the the tension is increased and a greater ae'ee., and the contiguous beasy turning said bolt in the oppo i, said tension is decreased and less frictional resistance produced-l cone and hearing. The heads or? and the bolt 54: i i

bracket 5 to which the plate 7, supporting said shank, is attached. The head of the bolt 54 is slotted, to enable said bolt to be adjusted by means of a screw-driver as well as by means of a wrench.

In practice, the potentiometer 34.- is set by manipulating the left-hand dial 42 to whatever extent may be required, with the thumb; the left-hand condenser is set by manipulating the left-hand dial 23 to whatever extent may be necessary, with the forefinger; the right-hand condenser is set by manipulating the. middle dial 23 as may be needed, with the ring finger; the intermediate condenser is set by manipulating the right-hand dial 23 as needed, with the middle finger; and the rheostat 33 is set b mani ulating the righthand dial 42 as eman ed with the little linger. Thus the setting of these several instruments is easily and quickly brought about simply by manipulatin with the thumb and fingers of one han the group of conveniently placed, five dials. The r0 2O prevents the rotor shafts of the condensers from getting out of alignment, and the combined lock, tension, and sto devices may be easily and quickly regulate by means of their adjusting bolts 54, to provide exactly the amount of resistance required for the roper operation of said rotor plates.

More or less change in the shape, size, eonstrluition, and arrangement of some or all oi the parts of this apparatus, in addition to those hereinbe'lore specifically pointed out. may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

What 1' claim as my invention, and sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. in radio apparatus, three condensers, including the same number of sets of rotor plates and shafts therefor, two of said shafts having juxtaposed terminals, bearings for said shatts,.a rod secured to one of said shafts and passing through the axial center of another of said shafts into the axial center of the third shaft, and digital actuating means mounted on said juxtaposed terminals and the part or said rod which is between said terminals.

2. in radio apparatus, condensers, including rotor plates and hollow shafts "for the sets oi plates, one said shafts being slotted its outer terminal, od in the axial centers of shafts, saic. roe. havi e' a projection in the slot in th means to secure said rod w tionin said slot, and Ciftr r mounted on the exposes. and. on the shaft which is rod.

projecmg means 0 said rod said l L uno; aired to 

